The Devils Hair is White | Aonung

.41

My eyes flutter open, squinting and adjusting to the light. I felt grass against my skin, cold rough grass. I rolled onto my back, sitting up as I finally opened my eyes.

The Tsaheylun clan stood before me.

"Takara?"

My ears pick up at the calling of my name as I stand up. Turning around I see my mother smiling at me.

"Mother," I smile, running towards her and smiling embracing in a hug.

"I didn't except you to come back so soon," She says after we hug.

"Neither did I," I furrow my brows, having no memory of connecting to the tree.

"Well I'm glad your here, tonight we're celebrating Hufwe being with child," Mum cheers.

Wait

"I need to talk to you," I say suddenly. "Snafu."

Snafu means a bad situation or trouble. Jake taught us the term when we were preparing for war. It was the only term my mother understood before she was killed. We use it whenever necessary.

"Follow me," Mum walks away and I follow.

We walk into the forest, ducking under branches and pushing past leaves. The forest is exactly as I remember it from when I was a child. Before it was burnt to the ground.

Mother climbs up a huge tree, to the very top, never once stopping to catch her breath. Once we reach the top we sit down.

Theirs a gap in the leaves and we can see the entire village. It's exactly like the tree I found on the Awalatu island.

"What is it my dear?" Mum faces me.

"I didn't connect to a tree, I don't know how I got here," I answer truthfully.

"Is this a dream?" She asks.

"No, it's too real," I shake my head.

The last thing I remember is trying to save Tuk and Kiri. Everything after that his fuzzy.

"Takara," Mum rests a hand on my shoulder.

"Yea?" I look at her.

"Are you, are you dead?" She asks with tears in her eyes.

No

"No I can't be dead," my brows furrow.

Mum pulls me into a hug, wrapping her arms around me as she rests her head on my shoulder. I hug her back, tightly.

My mother always gave the best hugs. The kind of hugs that would make you feel loved, at home.

Normally when I visit the tree and see my mother her hugs don't feel warm. But her hug feels so warm.

"Mum, I feel you," My breath quickens.

"No, Takara no, you can't die yet," Mum kisses my forehead, pulling away from the hug. "Whatever is happening right now you'll get through it, you'll survive, I know you will."

"Mum I want to feel you," My eyes water with realisation.

I've suffered, that's obvious. Pain has felt normal in my life and so did loss. So why would it be about different if I die? If anything it would just be easier, it would be painless.

"Pandora still needs you, the Sullys still need you," Mum cups my face in her hands. "You know you can't die yet, if not your time."

"You need to save Tuk and Kiri," Someone says.

My head jolts as I face where the sound came from.

No

Juxco stood tall, leaning against the tree trunk with a smile on his face.